


A society of Serpents and Heroes

by Prettyyoungtragedy



Series: A society of Serpents and Heroes [1]
Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Hydra Steve Rogers, Ilvermorny House - Horned Serpent, Marvel Universe, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-13 06:00:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettyyoungtragedy/pseuds/Prettyyoungtragedy
Summary: Steve Rogers has a secret, that he he has killed to keep. But how long can he keep it a secret without destroying the woman he secretly loves.





	1. A little white lie

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely loved writing this! if you don’t know what the Serpent Society is, check it out. It was nice to diverge from the canon MCU world and into the comic-book one! I absolutely loved this comic, so please please give me feedback on this! I’m dying to know what you guys think!

The dress you’re wearing was intensely distracting, you had worn it on purpose. It was long and gold, and hugged every inch of your body. It accentuated your chest and fell perfectly with the arch of your back. You wore diamonds that screamed opulence, and high heels from Manolo Blahnik, perfectly chosen to gain the attention of your target.

Beside you, clad in an a perfectly tailored navy blue suit is T’Challa, the King of Wakanda. A serious expression on his face, both of you knew what was at stake here. The team had assembled for a mission, a group known as The Serpent Society, full of mercenaries and criminals had planted a bomb somewhere in the building and the event being held in that building was the United Nations Annual Gala dinner. There were diplomats, presidents and chancellors from 114 nations here, the perfect place to strike.

Steve had prepped everyone for this mission, repeating the plan again and again. Going over every possible scenario, knowing if even the slightest thing were to go wrong, thousands could die.

You were to be the distraction for Klaus Voorhees, also known as King Cobra one of the leaders of the Serpent Society, an ex-convict with mutagenic powers of a cobra, hence King Cobra. You were a ghost among the Avengers, rarely seen, and with your enhanced abilities of Mentifery and Psychometry. a former asset of Hydra, you now worked for the Avengers, very begrudgingly to some of the members of the team. both Tony and Steve had recommended it better keeping you out of the public eye. It was safer, for everyone, due to the nature of your colorful history.

“Is everyone in position, channels secure?” You hear Steve say over the comms.

“In position.” Bucky repeated “Secure.”

“Position, secure.” Sam.

“Secure.” Natasha.

“In position.” Wanda and Vision.

“Secure.” Clint.

“Arriving now, channel secure.” Tony said. And you see him walk through the doors of the massive dining hall, with Pepper on his arm. Behind him you see Bucky, looking very much like a bodyguard but still as handsome as ever with Natasha on his arm.

“Y/N? T’challa?” Steve said.

“Almost in position.” You murmured, stepping away from T’challa. Your attire was attracting attention from multiple men and women around you, that was the point. You moved effortlessly through the crowded room, taking a glass of champagne off the tray of a nearby waiter. Your eyes scanning the room for your target.

Then you spot him, the tall, slim, lithe bald man, Kalus Voorhees. Just looking at him made your skin crawl, the point of your gold dress war to garner his attention, gold, the color of the King Cobra. Tossing your hair elegantly over your shoulder, you saunter elegantly in his general direction.

You stop to greet Colonel James Rhodes who is in attendance and is aware of the situation.

“Do you see him?” Rhodey asks you.

You nod, “My six o’clock” you say with a polite smile plastered on your plum colored lips. “Good luck.” He murmurs to you, and you nod slightly to him then walk away.

The moment you step away from Rhodey you can feel the eyes on you, and you know he has spotted you. “Target acquired.” You murmured softly into the comms, not looking at him.

“Alright team, look alive. Let’s do this. Bucky get on Y/N’s six.” Steve ordered. You see Bucky slowly make his way through the crowd, trailing you with his gaze, expertly, discreetly. Beside him Natasha is talking to him. To the normal eye it would seem they were having a conversation but to the trained eye, you can see their gazes shifting through each member at the party.

You paused for a moment as you see Klaus Voorhees make his move towards you. Taking a sip of the champagne, you cast your gaze across the room once more in search of his companions. You spot two near Natasha and Bucky.

“Ariana Sadiqqi and Pete Voorhees.” You murmur under your breath so only they could here, “Bucky on your left.”

You see him shift slightly, he blinks his gaze to his left. “I see them.”

“Cobra and Black Racer.” Steve says with disgust in his voice. Another two of the Serpent Society.

“Sam, keep an eye on them,” Steve orders.

“On it.” Sam replies, then you see emerge from the crowd and give you a small nod before walking away again.

“Good evening Miss.” A velvety voice says behind you. You already know who it is.

You turn around slowly, sultrily. Turning on your charm and sex appeal, knowing this is what it’s going to take to distract a man like Klaus. “Good evening,” You said, sweetly.

“I couldn’t help but notice you from across the room.” Klaus said, “You are without a doubt the most beautiful woman in this room.”

A shiver creeps up your spine at his words, he is vile. He takes in your body, his gaze sweeping shamelessly over your pronounced cleavage.

“Well, that’s a hefty compliment.” You replied, giving him an enticing grin. You need to get close enough to touch him, to use your ability on him without him detecting a shift in your equilibrium.

Klaus steps closer to you, and you want to scream when you feel the sudden coldness that radiates off him. You steel your nerves and allow him to step into your personal space. “Klaus Voorhees.” He says reaching for your hand.

Immediately you knew this was your chance, as soon as he touches you, you are stunned by a cold voltage that seems to course through you. “Y/N Y/L/N,” You give him a fake name with a smile. Steadying your heartbeat you release your ability, and you feel it begin to work.

There are flashes of images and feelings suddenly. All you need is one glimpse of a conversation or a picture of where the bomb is, that is it. Suddenly Klaus lets go of your hand and steps back, frowning at you.

There is a cautious somewhat suspicious look on his face, “Everything alright?” You ask him, playing the innocent card. You hadn’t managed to get anything from him on the bomb.

“Quite alright.” He replies curtly, you see his two henchmen suddenly appear beside him and he is looking passed you. You turn to follow his gaze, it’s on Steve who is standing with Tony. They are trying to look casual but they can hear everything that is going on and both of them look tense.

Klaus looks back at you, “What did you say you name was again?” He asks. And you already knew your cover was blown.

You open your mouth to answer him but he cuts you off, suddenly grabbing your throat cutting your air off. His mutations allow him to vice grip your throat, he looks directly and Steve and Tony who have sheer panic plastered across their faces.

“Bucky, Now!” You hear Natasha order through the comms, and you see a flurry of commotion as all the team breaks their cover. Klaus henchmen, and fellow Serpents suddenly make themselves very visible. You were vastly outnumbered.

“Tell Captain America, he is going to have to try a little harder next time, and not send in his classiest concubine.” Klaus whispered into your ear.

You reach within you activating your power, you begin to alter the reality before everyone in the room, the room shifts and warps and everyone’s realities are suddenly distorted, visages of their nightmares are suddenly before them and suddenly chaos ensues, there is shouting and weapons being drawn. This was why you never used your power, it was the stuff of nightmares.

Klaus suddenly releases his grip on your neck and stumbles back, looking at you terrified. Whatever manifestation he saw of you, petrified him. You look around for your teammates. Bucky is the closest to you, he is paralyzed with fear, a few feet behind him Natasha is looking around wildly, her weapon drawn.

You had to stop the distortion soon before people started hurting each other, but you needed to get the team out of there. You were outnumbered. Thinking quickly, you reached out and touched Bucky, releasing a small amount of psychometric energy enough to bring him out of the warped reality before him.

He shakes his head and blinks rapidly, when he sees you he realizes what’s going on. It’s happened before, and he quickly hauls ass with you. Helping you get the team and as many people as you can out of there before any further damage can be done.

The second you’re clear of the room, you draw back your power and everyone is looking around dazed and confused. There’s multiple people stumbling, falling, gasping for breath around you. But that isn’t the end, in a split second you sense it before it goes off…the bomb.

The second the bomb detonates, the energy released from the explosion radiates outward in all directions at once. You feel the heat of the energy, and the breath is knocked from your lungs as you are propelled several meters across the hallway and into a wall. Your body slamming into the now debris covered floor with bone crushing velocity.

Everything is silent except for the ringing in your ears, your eyes are blurred and you can feel blood running down your face. You can’t tell if its your own or not. There’s commotion and chaos all around you, smoke, fire debris.

Suddenly there are strong arms beside you, picking you up off the floor, gripping your face. T’challa in his Black Panther suit is saying something to you, he’s holding your face. You blink rapidly multiple times, your lungs struggling to find air, you’re gasping.

T’challa is repeating your name again and again but you cannot hear him, your vision blurs. Is it tears Or the debris and smoke you can’t tell. Finally you gasped and air flooded your lungs making you cough, the debris and smoke choking you.

“Y/N? Can you hear me, look at me.” T’Challa grips your face tighter, your head falls back slightly and your vision swims as you feel dizzy. Blood blurs your vision as it drips into your eyes, you reach up and wipe it away, trying to focus on T’Challa who was picking you up.

T’challa curses loudly when he sees a metal rod protruding through your abdomen. You both look at each other for a second, then your mental state snaps back to reality and you put your hands on the rod.

“I-I’m fine…” You gasped “Civilians” gesturing to the people before you and T’challa shakes his head,

“Do not pull that rod out!” He exclaims, then into the comms “Captain, Y/N is hit pretty bad, we need to get her out of here.”

“Where are you?” Steve’s voice sounded, panicked. “Stark! Call in the iron legion.” You hear faintly over the comms.

“We need evac and medics!” Anther voice.

“Get the civilians first!”

There’s a flurry of voices over the comms but you can’t focus on any of them, your head is spinning. You stumble backwards, and you hear T’challa say your name as he reached for you.

You feel yourself slowly slipping out of control, the less control you have over your mind the less control you have over your powers and that’s a deadly combination.

You slowly lift your hands to your head, touching the blood that now occupies half of your face and you look at it. Blinking at the redness that now covered your hand, and then something unfurls inside you. That caged rage that Bruce Banner had showed you how to hide, it springs free and you lose control. Becoming something else entirely.

The first thing you feel is the cold, and then the smell hits you. A sterile, metallic tang, mixed with bleach and lemon, and you know you’re in the hospital. Sitting upright with a start you look around the room wildly, and hissed with pain and regret as you do so. There are long lines of stitches on your abdomen, arms and back.

There’s fluid drips attached to you, and your hands are cuffed to the metal ballisturs of the bed.

“No no no…” You murmured terrified.

You touch the cool metal railing and hone into your powers, trying to discern any memory from it. You suck in a breath as the memory washes over you.

**‘There’s flashes of images before the memory settles, a soft haze over it. You are dragged into the hospital room by Sam and T’Challa, kicking screaming shouting. You’re bloodied, you don’t recognise your own face. Eyes black as the midnight sky, no irises. You look feral. They cuff you to the bed.

Tony and Steve walk in a few minutes later, Steve’s face is distressed as you’re screaming, you can’t tell if its pain or anger.

“Sedate her.” Tony says, and T’challa motions for one of the doctors to follow through. He does and then the memory fades to black.’** -Flashback

You snap back to reality, blinking a few times and shaking your head. “Oh god…” You murmured again. As the memory replayed itself in your mind again.

A movement at the door, and your gaze flits to it as T’challa steps in.

“T’Challa…” You breathed, relief washing over you when you see a familiar face.

“Y/N.” He is immediately at your side. Hands on gripping your shoulders and pulling you into his arms. “Thank Bast”

“What did I do?” You asked quietly when released you from his arms.

T’challa paused and sighed deeply, before taking a seat on the chair beside your bed. “It’s bad Y/N… “ He replied softly, “The whole mission went wrong, we lost too many civilians.”

“What did I do?” You repeated, your heart hammering in your chest. He was avoiding answering the question, you could tell.

T’challa looked at you, there was an indiscernible look in his eyes, “Steve will talk to you.” He said,

Panic took over, you didn’t know what had happened and now T’challa wouldn’t tell you. He was your best friend, you had grown up together, fought together, cried together, he found you when Hydra had taken you and stripped you of your humanity. He had given you hope again, yet here he sat barely looking you in the eye. What had you done.

Just then Steve and Tony stepped into the room, T’challa stood up at their entrance and looked at them, he looks back down at you giving you a small smile before reaching out and squeezing your shoulder slightly. Tony gives T’challa quick nod and then your friend leaves the room silently.

Steve looks worse for wear, he has cuts and bruises on his face. Tony’s arm is in a sling but he looks ok. Both of them look tired, traumatized, strained. And when they look at you , it breaks your heart. You see fear, and sadness, a mixture that you had become all used to seeing in your life when people looked at you.

“Just tell me..” You whispered, forcing back the tears.

Tony sat on the edge of the bed you were cuffed to, “Too many this time Y/N.” He replied softly, he looks at you, and there’s that sadness again.

“How many?” You repeat gritting your teeth.

“It doesn’t matter.” Steve said,

“It does,” You insist, “Tell me.”

“Seventy two critically injured, fourteen fatalities.” Tony said.

Your heart stops, and you gasp out loud. Your mind is racing, Tony doesn’t tell you to hurt you, he tells you because you need to know. You need to know the destruction your abilities have wrought when you lost control. The tears start falling, you are gasping back the sobs.

Steve is immediately at your side, uncuffing the handcuffs that held you to the bed. He wraps his large frame around you, holding you to his chest.

“It’s bad Y/N.” Tony said. His voice forlorn, “I don’t know if we can fix it this time.”

“Tony…” Steve says quietly, pointedly looking at his friend.

You pushed Steve away, “Did I hurt anyone on the team?” You asked, wiping your tears away.

“Only Bucky, he tried to stop you and you channelled all your rage at him. He’s pretty out for the count.” Steve said, grimacing at the thought of how you had Bucky on his knees before you, clutching his head, screaming in terror.

“Steve… I am so sorry.” You whispered looking at him, in horror.

Steve doesn’t say anything, he just looks at Tony. “There has been no official call for your arrest,” Tony said, “What with the aftermath of what happened in Geneva.”

“We have done all we could, we’re going to return to New York tonight, regroup and figure this out.” Steve said.

You just nodded and then closed your eyes wanting this nightmare to be over. This was why they kept you out of the public eye, you had no control of your own mind. No control over what could happen, and what your abilities could do. Unchecked they were catastrophic.

“Can I just have a moment alone?” You asked, not opening your eyes.

“Sure.” Tony responded, you hear them both slowly shuffle out of the room and the door click shut behind them. The moment they are gone, you are unable to hold back the sobs that erupt from you. You cried, harder than you ever have in your life, you cried for the fourteen lives you took, for the fourteen families that wouldn’t get their loved ones back, for the seventy two others who were fighting for their lives because of you. You cried until you couldn’t cry anymore, and then quietly slipped into a restless sleep.

***

Three weeks later, You sat in the conference room between with Tony and Steve when Thaddeus Ross the secretary of State had made his impromptu visit to the Avengers compound the moment you all had returned from Geneva. And he was less than kind when he saw you, immediately telling his men to cuff you the moment he stepped through the door.

You were violently thrown to the floor by his masked men, and an electromagnetic metal shock collar placed around your neck, when you tried to fight them one of the men activated the collar and the shock pulse that was sent through your body stunned you, leaving you gasping for air on the floor. Steve and Bucky intervened, panic on Steve’s face. But Bucky was a vision of calm and practically choke slammed the soldier who had placed the collar around your neck and activated it.

Steve tried to help you but, but the collar prevented him. Shocking him as well. He jolted back, looking angrily at Ross. Ross’ men all raised their AR-15’s at you. Ready and awaiting their orders to open fire, should he instruct them to. Everyone in the room freezes, waiting, baited. The air is thick with anger and tension as you shudder on the floor, your body wracked with shockwaves that vibrated from your brain to the tip of your toes. Paralyzing you.

“Are you fucking insane?” Bucky snarled at Ross, threateningly marching up to him. Metal arm clenched in a fist ready to put Ross’ head through the wall. “You could kill her!”

“Stop it please!” Steve is practically begging, on his knees beside you.

“I would back off if I were you Barnes.” Ross said, cautiously backing away from Bucky.

“Take the fucking collar off her now.” Bucky said, threateningly.

“Bucky.” Tony said, placing a hand on Bucky’s shoulder, calming him down. “Ross, look at her. She is cooperating.” he said, a hand still on Bucky’s shoulder.

Ross raised his hand signalling his men to stop their assault, and lower their weapons, which they did. And finally the electric pulse that coursed through your body ceased, and you could breathe again, Bucky snaps off the collar and lets it fall to the floor. You lifted yourself onto your hands and knees, Steve immediately at your side, his hands on your shoulders.

“Are you okay?” He says worriedly. You just nod, blinking away the tears that had formed. The rage unfurls inside you again, but you force it down. Now is not the time. You shove yourself off the ground and shake off Steve’s arm, steeling your gaze as you look at Ross.

“We released Miss Y/L/N into your charge Captain because we thought you could control her. But clearly you cannot.” Ross stated.

“She is not an asset to be controlled!” Bucky snarled at him.

“But she is! Let’s look at her rap sheet shall we?” Ross snaps, He motions for so one of his men to bring something forward. The man steps forward and places a screen on the table. It flits to life and footage comes up.

It’s you, when you worked for Hydra. There is footage of you, on numerous missions.

“We could have had her tried as a criminal and she would have been rotting in a jail cell if it weren’t for me! Thaddeus Ross snarled, “Just look. Berlin.” Ross states, and the footage of you ripping through a taskforce like they were cotton candy. It was your mission.

“Lebanon.” He says, again footage of you bringing men to their knees, blood, tears and chaos all around you as you walk through with a smile.

“Tokyo.” Ross continued. It was all footage of you, causing destruction in the name of Hydra. You were a machine, an asset to be used for whatever your masters willed.

“South Africa.” He says and you suddenly freeze up. You know what happened in South Africa, you remember it like it was yesterday. It was the tipping point for you. It was the reason you had to escape Hydra.

Ross’ demeanor changes when he looks at you and see the venom in your stare, he is afraid of you, all the men before you are afraid of you. Good, you thought. This will make what you are about to do easier.

You looked between Bucky, Steve and Tony, “I’m sorry.” You simply said, confusion flashes across Bucky’s face, Tony’s eyes suddenly widen and Steve already knows what you’re going to do, “No!” He cries out, his hand reaches out for you. But it’s too late.

Like tendrils of doom, your power spreads across the room, every man in the room is brought to his knees. You can see each vision that is before them clearly, there are nightmares upon nightmares flashing before you. Steve’s is a vision of death and despair. Bucky’s is unforgiving cold, hard pain. Tony’s is loss, depthless loss and suffering. You feel every motion they feel, you taste the pain, confusion, loss of everyone in the room. As their nightmares engulf them.

Stepping aside as you watch Steve Rogers collapse at your feet, clutching his throat. You want to reach out and ease his pain but you can’t. You need to leave and this is the only way they won’t be able to stop you.

“I am sorry Captain Rogers.” You murmur running your fingers lightly across his face. Then step over him, walking out of the room. A ghost, a blur, a murmur left behind in a vision of chaos walking.


	2. Secrets to die for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Rogers has a secret, that he he has killed to keep. But how long can he keep it a secret without destroying the woman he secretly loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A flashback, a whole lot of trouble and angsty Steve Rogers. Please give me feedback, I love writing this series, so drop be a comment if you want and scream at me in my inbox! i’ll love you forever!

**Western Africa. Ghana. One year later**

The music is simultaneously loud and soft, the air sticky and hot. You sat at the bar, sipping on the cold drink before you.

It’s the hot air that stifles everything around you. You wore the bare minimum, allowing your body to breathe, but the humidity still created a thin sheen of sweat on your skin. Little droplets of sweat trickling down your neck, disappearing into your tank top.

You feel his presence before you even see him, immediately shifting out of your seat. He has been trailing you for almost the entire day. You managed to escape him but it seems his assassin ways haven’t left him. Trained by Hydra he knew you every move too.

As you step out of your seat, he steps in front of you. His hulking frame blocking you from moving. His hair is messy and he is sweaty, wearing a black t-shirt and tactical pants. You can see his weapons strapped to his body, he looks formidable. Of course he does, he is the former Winter Soldier.

“Hello.” Bucky Barnes said, in the deep husky voice of his.

“Hello James.” You replied, falling into an aggressive stance immediately. You had evaded the law, the Avengers, the Serpent Society and even Hydra for almost nine months. It would prove to be fruitless if you got caught now by Bucky Barnes. A soldier whose version of the world much differed to yours. He had delusions of a world that accepted him, that would one day love him, and forgive him. He had, hope. Where as hope was a luxury you could never afford.

“I’m here as a friend.” He said softly, trying to placate you.

“I doubt it.” You snorted.

“Just hear him out.” Bucky said, you knew who he was talking about.

“No.” You replied and you try to shove passed him.

Bucky grabs your arm, “He wants to help you.” he said quietly. There’s a sudden shift in the air, almost as if the atmosphere in the bar changes, you feel it the second it happens so does Bucky, your power is shifting unintentionally warping reality. His gaze sweeping across the bar, searching for any signs of danger, he sees none but the hairs on the back of his neck still rise.

“No one can help me.” You replied coolly and shoved his hand off you.

“Let us try.” Bucky said. He reaches for you again and you slap his hand away.

You look up at him, Bucky always was pretty but so so dumb. “Leave me alone James.” You said. “Or I will hurt you. Again.”

Bucky pauses and sighs before he steps back. He knows the extent of the mental damage you can do with just the lightest touch of your fingers, he has experienced it first hand. “Come back, for him.” He says quietly.

“No.” You simply said and then picked up the shot glass filled with tequila that the bartender had placed there for you and downed it. Wiping your mouth with the back of your hand. “Now, goodbye Winter Soldier, I hope for your sake, I don’t run into you again because next time I won’t be so kind with your intrusion.” You said coldly.

Bucky opened his mouth to say something but you never gave him the chance. Closing your fist, with a lightning fast strike that even the world’s best assassin was not prepared for, you slammed your fist square between his eyes. Causing him to double over and grip his face and stumble backwards, mostly from the shock factor of it all.

Then you turned and ran, shouldering people of of your way, as you seamlessly dove over stalls and obstacles. Throwing one last look behind you, you see Bucky burst out the doors of the bar, only to halt when he sees the masses of people before him. His eyes scanned the crowd searching but he couldn’t find you.

You disappear into the chaos of the Ghanaian streets, becoming one with your surroundings.

***

Steve Rogers sat at the large glass desk in his bedroom, staring at the blank black screen before him. Resting his jaw on his fist as his mind wandered through thoughts of the last couple of months.

The claimed Serpent Society taunting them, Hydra openly at war with them. There were casualties of this war every day, no matter how much Steve planned, thought forward, recruited new members. These people were always ahead of him, and he felt like he was failing, failing everyone, failing the world.

Since she had left, his life had become an endless struggle to find her. He tried everything, exhausted every resource he had, tried every organization that he considered an ally. But all to no avail, she was a ghost. She always had been.

Sending Natasha and Bucky out to find her had been his last resort, two of the most formidable trackers in the world, sent in opposite directions across the globe. To her last known locations, Natasha tracked her from new York, to Boston, to Cuba, to Argentina then lost her trail. She returned home, thoroughly frustrated.

Bucky had gone to Africa, started in Wakanda thinking she would go there because of T’challa but that ended up being a dead end. Egypt, Algeria and Morocco, all places he visited. He checked out every area he knew she would like likely visit and finally ended in Ghana.

He was obviously more successful and when he returned home to Steve with news, it was less than what anyone had expected, and even Steve wasn’t expecting much.

“I’m sorry, pal.” Bucky said, after he had given Steve the mission report. “She won’t come back.” he was sporting a hefty blotted dark bruise underneath one of his eyes. Bucky had opted not to tell anyone except Steve how he had gotten it, knowing in a couple of hours it would heal. That, and the fact that Sam would probably relentlessly tease him over it.

Steve just nodded a thanks to his lifelong friend, and tiredly rose from his seat. Running his fingers through his grown out blonde hair.

I should really get a haircut, he thinks to himself when he catches a glance of himself in the mirror. He sports longer hair, a beard, a more rugged look. 

But that was the least of his problems right now. With everything that had been happening around the world, it was pretty much going to shit. Steve had barely been able to hold it all together.

Their little war with the Serpent Society had taken a good few hits to the team. Secretary Ross had been breathing down their necks, the world security council demanding action from the Avengers. Demanding that they stop the Society, find its members, hold someone accountable, the Serpent Society was now a worldwide organisation.

Steve tiredly rubbed his face, everything was toppling like dominos around him and he felt like he had no control over any of it.

“You okay?” Bucky asked, getting up off the bed and coming over to where Steve stood at the window. He placed a comforting hand on his friends shoulder, he didn’t know the pain Steve was going through but he was damn well sure he would try and fix it. Whatever it took.

“”Yeah, thanks,” Steve replied, offering his friend a small smile.

“You need anything? I’m here you know.” Bucky said, gripping Steve’s shoulder.

“I can get by on my own Buck.’ he replied, his voice sounding as tired as he looked.

“Thing is,” Bucky said, punching Steve’s shoulder lightly, playfull, “You don’t have to.”

Steve chuckled lightly, “This feels like dejavu.”

“Damn, yeah it does, doesn’t it?” Bucky said, a playful smile on his face. “Except with one difference, you’re sizably bigger than me now.”

Steve raised his eyebrow and cocked his head in agreement. “Only by a couple inches.” he chuckled.

“And it’s all about the inches with the ladies.”Bucky joked, causing Steve to laugh out loud. Momentarily their worries forgotten as the two men now stood facing the massive glass window, looking out at the compound before them. Playful joking between the two of them, in a way that was reserved for their friendship.

Decades may pass by but the one thing Steve would always be grateful for was the Bucky would always remain a constant in his life. A sourceable way of grounding him in reality, making him feel human, and reminding him of a life he once lived.

 

**Belgium. Bruge. 27 days later**

It was a snowy day in Bruge, the cold air almost and harsh snowflakes that fell around you, almost biting into your skin. The stark white snow casting a perfect blanket of icy purity over the city center. The snow covered bushes, and icy sleet filled fountains around the cobbled, cold square, creating an almost picturesque setting. The darkening sky hid the fact that it was still well into the afternoon, but with the thick clouds, it almost seemed to be evening.

You walked cautiously over the icy ground, careful to count your steps and avoid slick patches of treacherous ice. You loved the snow, and the cold. It provided you with a reason to keep your face hidden and no one would question it.

After the incident in Ghana, with Bucky. You had managed to slip away to Europe undetected once more. It was a constant struggle having to keep moving but it was the only way to keep all interested parties off your scent. You changed identities multiple times, your hair color changed, the way you dressed, the way you moved. Everything you did had to be a well thought out plan, you had to learn to become an unnoticeable shadow.

So far, you had been lucky enough not to run into too much trouble. Easy to stay of the radar if you don’t allow anyone on yours.

You had come to Bruge, for two reasons. One being that you were on the trail of none other than King Cobra, Klaus Voorhees. After his little stunt in the media recently, you wanted a few words with him. And the second reason being, Bruge was an apparent meeting place with the Serpent Society, and if you could get close enough, find out even the littlest of details of their organisation. Like who the leader was, the mastermind behind all this chaos, maybe gain a little more insight into this organisation.

You could give this information to the Avengers, help them in their little battle with the Serpent Society. Not that you wanted any part of it. You weren’t an Avenger, or a hero or anything really.

It meant nothing to the so called protectors of earth and their councils to throw you in a cell, locking you away for good, if they found you. Because you scared them, what was it that Secretary Ross said, 

“I look into your eyes and I see the work of an evil so deep and far reaching, you shouldn’t be allowed to walk among us.”

You snorted at the thought of that ridiculously self righteous pompous ass of a man, calling you evil. Oh he had no idea.

Making sure to be as inconspicuous as possible, you made your way towards a nearby cafe. A waitress with a huge smile on her face greeted you the moment you pushed open the door, feeling the welcoming warmth of the heat the fire place within the cafe created.

“Guten Morgen.” She said, cheerfully. You smiled and nodded at her,

“Just you?” She asked in English.

“Just me.” You replied. The waitress nodded and then grabbed a menu from the countertop before leading you into the bistro, and seating you at a small table by the window.

Once you were seated and she had taken your order, you gazed out the window at the snow covered square. It truly was a sight to behold. You found your mind wandering to a snowy morning spent at the compound with Steve.

**‘The snow covered everything, the entire compound buried in almost two feet of snow. No one wanted to do anything it was so cold. You had opted to stay in your room, turn on the heat and stay under as many blankets as possible.

A rare moment to yourself, you relished it.

But, that was disturbed when a soft knock on your door interrupted the peace. Steve’s kind blue eyes and golden haired head poked through the slightly open door.

“Want some company?” He asked softly. You immediately smile and nod at him. You never could say no to him, he brought out the soft side in you. Your usual hardness, broken down by the softest of glances and lightest of touches from Steve Rogers. It had been that way from the moment you had met him.

Steve made himself comfortable in bed with you, the two of you softly talking to each other about anything and everything. The warmth his muscular body radiated, made your skin flush and everything feel fuzzy. He had that effect on you.

His fingers lightly trailing across the exposed skin on your neck, as his lips touched yours. Soft strawberry flavored kisses, his hand cupping your jaw, the softest sigh escaping his lips as you both broke the kiss. God damn it, he always kissed your utterly breathless.

His mouth moving slowly down your neck, teeth grazing the skin, leaving sinfully tantalizing marks as he goes along. He pulls you closer, hands slipping beneath the hem of you shirt, brushing against your breasts. Your heart beats like a hummingbird in your chest, it always does for Steve Rogers.

Naked skin, soft touches, lips crashing against each other. Steve is on top of you, a heady sigh. He murmurs your name, and kisses your neck, as he moves languidly inside you. It’s cold yet so hot, your whole body feels alight from his touches. Like you were gasoline and he was a match, sparked alive and setting every fiber of your being alight.

Your hand grabs a fistful of the sheet, he leans over you. Face hovering above yours, intense gaze on your face, lips slightly parted, watching you, taking you all in. Every moan that escapes your lips is like music to his ears, the way your breaths come out in rapid beats, the way your body moves in sync with his. Building that climax that will eventually crash over both of you.

Soft touches, deep kisses and murmurs of love between the two of you, when the moment of climax has passed. Heavy breathing, fingertips grazing across your lips and an intensity in his eyes. Damn did Steve Rogers own every part of you already broken soul and how unabashedly you were willing to admit it to yourself.’** - Flashback

Your fingertips touched your lips at the memory that settled in your mind, a small smile splaying on your lips at the happy moment. The joy was fleeting when you looked up and saw the faces of your targets. Klaus Voorhees stepped into the coffee shop, beside him Ariana Siddiqi. They seemed relaxed, almost normal for a moment.

They could pass for a couple in love, the way she held onto his arm and gazed adoringly at his less than handsome face. Seeing him again made your skin crawl, Klaus Voorhees just looked like the skin of man who was bred to commit atrocious acts. But what else could be expected from an ex convict.

But you knew this was their facade, so much destruction and harm caused by their organisation over the last few months and yet they remained untouchable. With no evidence to tie them to any of the crimes, they walked free.

You knew what was at stake here. You had spent the last twenty seven days, running away from your past and tracking these two down. With the last of the Avengers intel you had managed to hack from their servers before Tony Stark’s fancy A.I kicked you out.

They were clearly still hunting down any and every member of the Serpent Society and doing a poor job of it. The Avengers were always two steps behind the Serpent Society no matter how hard they tried. The news were not loving the Avengers right now, with every attempt to stop the Society they fumbled or were thrown for a loop. Damaging their credibility in the process.

Glancing out of the corner of your eye. You watch as King Cobra and Blackracer as they were known in their Society as, take a seat at a table near yours. Their voices hushed as they began talking to each other.

You take a sip of your coffee, and pretend to be preoccupied looking out the window. Straining your ears slightly to catch even the slightest of clues from their conversation.

“Does he know?” Blackracer asks in a hushed tone.

“No, none of us did.” Her companion replied.

“Why did she decide to come now? What is her play here?” She followed up with another question.

“I don’t know, but whenever she reveals herself. People die, this means she isn’t happy with something.” Klaus said, his gaze quickly sweeping across the coffee shop.

“Fuck.” she muttered, “Does she know about Captain America?” Ariana’s voice seemed to sneer when she said his name.

You felt a surge of adrenaline course through you the moment you heard them reference Steve.

“Yes, I think that’s why she’s here.” Klaus replied.

“The plan to incapacitate that infernal Steve Rogers is in place, with her here it will just attract more attention.” Ariana hissed.

You hadn’t realized just how hard you were gripping the mug in your hand until, it cracked and the hot contents spilled all over the table. Cursing softly, you grabbed napkins off the table and quickly began to clean up the mess. What plan did they have to incapacitate Steve, was he coming here, you had to warn him this was a trap.

Feeling both Klaus and Ariana’s eyes on your back and not wanting to draw any more attention to yourself, you release a small amount of your power across the room knowing it would be a mistake but not wanting to be made out. Shifting the reality slightly, making everything seem normal once more but there’s always that slight difference in the realities when your mentifry was activated. 

You watch confusion flit across Klaus’ face and suddenly realization hits him. He knows that feeling, he knows the shimmer and feel of that energy.

There was an enhanced nearby and he knows exactly who it is. He grabs Ariana’s hand and hauls to her to feet.

“We have to go now!” He ordered. Without further explanation, he drags her from the coffee shop, the onlookers watching him do so in confusion. Klaus looks right over you, not recognizing you for even a second before they both exited the coffee shop in a hurry.

You slipped out of the coffee shop behind the now rushing pair. Klaus held Ariana close to him as they hurried across the snow covered square. His eyes darting across the area, searching for you or even a glimpse of you.

He knew you, he would never forget you and what you had done to his mind. That feeling that you had given him, had shaken him to his core. Why hadn’t he noticed you sooner?

Careful not to alert them that you were following them, you pulled on your leather gloves, adjusted the mask that hid your face and stepped onto the crunchy white snow. Eyes not leaving their retreating figures once. They were afraid of you, you thought amusedly to yourself.

Klaus Voorhees, King Cobra was afraid of little old you.

This could definitely be used to your advantage. You started to follow the two members of the Serpent Society, across the beautiful stone square, through the streets of Bruge and into a dimly lit alleyway. The soft crunch of your boots on the snowy ground, and the quick puffs of breath that you emitted were all that could be heard.

Their shadowy figures well in front of you, but you could still see them. You had been walking for well over twenty minutes now. Memorising as much of the surrounding area as you could.

The snow had begun to fall again, and it dropped a few degrees. You were momentarily distracted by the beauty of the snowflakes falling around you, and you stuck out your gloved hand to catch one of them.

Suddenly a large rough hand slipped over your mouth. A needle is quickly pressed onto the flesh of your neck and whatever is injected into you momentarily stunned you, and before you could fight your way out of this a metal collar is placed over your neck and activated.

The feeling of being electrocuted is such a strange sensation to describe. It was more than just a slight tingle that ran underneath your skin. No, it was as though someone had attached a live wire to each of your nerves, the immense measure of pain that comes with the feeling of every one of your nerves being shocked alive and the inability to stop it, that was in itself a horror story. Your body convulsed as the violent electrical current pulsed through you.

Your body dropped to the hard stone pavement, vision swimming as you tried to open your mouth to scream out but it was as if the the violent current had cut your vocal cords and instead a gurgled choked sound was all that came out.

A pair of black boots appear in your vision. Six inches, leather, and strikingly expensive. She peers down at you,

“Hello there” She murmurs. A vision of black hair, green eyes, and pale skin. Is she the angel of death, your mind wonders.

Then everything turned black from the pain.

***

There was laughter, a sound Steve had seemed to have forgotten. His friends, and family as he had come to know them as, sit on the Quinjet and laughed, this was not a time for laughing but how could he stop their happiness.

He envied their joy. Joy another feeling he had forgotten. Something that had been ripped away from him the day she left. Their joy was something he had to now vicariously live through.

Steve used to find pleasure in the little things with her, her soft laughter which she only gave to him, the blissful mornings waking up to her in his arms, snoring peacefully, the sinfully playful way she said his name when she would kiss him and want more from him.

It was safe to say, Steve Rogers missed her wholly and with his entire being. It had taken its toll on him, mentally, losing her. Everyone could see it, as much as he tried to hide it. Bucky took the brunt of Steve’s new found rage, but he took it like a champ.

Steve sat at the back of the Quinjet, the rest of his team sat around the jet, talking amongst each other. Bucky’s gaze kept flitting to Steve, he could see there was something on his mind but he knew better than to ask.

Gazing down at the floor, Steve’s mind was suddenly filled with thoughts of her. His mind wanders through the memories he had hidden within the far reaches of his memory. One particular one stuck out, today of all day.

**'He watches her from across the room. She’s sitting cross legged in front of a canvas, splashed with vivid colours of orange, purple and red. In her hand is a paint brush, her long hair falling over her partially bare shoulders.

Steve smiles when he sees the utter concentration on her face, she’s so perfectly flawed it mesmerises him.

I’m in love with her, He realizes as he looked at her.

She’s always there, mentally if not physically. It’s just incomprehensible. She is his one stable force, his one stability in a world filled with chaos and he so desperately needs that in his life. After so many years of walking this earth, he found someone who just fits into his soul so perfectly, he cannot describe it.

This feeling is so strange; it stretches throughout his whole body. It’s overwhelming, yet makes him feel complete. It has no bound nor length nor depth; it’s just absolute. It feels as though he is in a dangerous fire, yet completely safe at the same time.

It feels as if he’s entire existence is finally at peace as he looks over her, sitting there in the soft morning sunlight, painting.

There’s a sudden fear that grips him in that moment too. He suddenly couldn’t imagine a world where she was not in, he couldn’t imagine his world without her. wondering how it ever was that he was able to live without her, because her sure as hell couldn’t imagine being without her now.

She turns towards him, and their eyes meet and Steve feels a sense of wonder wash over him. She gets off the chair she is seated on, dropping her paintbrush to the table. The soft silky robe she’s wearing falls open, revealing her almost naked body beneath it.

Steve pulls her into his arms, his mouth finding hers immediately. He kisses her deeply, hungrily as his hands pushed the silk fabric off her shoulders, letting it fall to the bed. He gripped her waist and moved suddenly, flipping her onto her back, so that he could settle his body between her legs.

A playful smile on her face, he holds her wrists above her head and brings his mouth down to hers once more, trailing his lips over her skin, hearing her sigh softly. She tastes like candy, sweet sinful candy.

“You’re so beautiful.” Steve murmured. His naked body pressed against hers., his lips ghosting across the skin on her neck. Steve pulls back slightly and their eyes meet. It’s a silent moment of love shared between the two of them. A moment so secret, so private, not a another soul on earth could share in it. Its was just theirs.** - Flashback

 

“You okay, Buddy?” Bucky’s voice broke him out of his memory. He knelt before Steve on the jet, looking up at him with a worried expression.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Steve replied, almost snappily. Not meeting Bucky’s gaze.

“Steve, you can tell…” Bucky began to say but Steve cut him off.

“I said I’m fine Buck, drop it.” Steve snapped, loudly and the rest of the team turned to look at the two of them.

Bucky sighed, he knew that was the response he was going to get. That seemed to be the only response anyone got from Steve Rogers these days.

Steve had become harder, more brash. His former self not only a shadow among his long hair, bearded face and intense new persona. He sealed his emotions as best as he could but there is a cruelty to taking his emotions as a type of rudeness, something ‘well mannered Steve would hide’. There is a cost in burying such pain in his bones rather than expressing it freely, one that brings on a loneliness of the soul.

And that’s exactly how he felt, his soul was lonely, a deep aching and longing for that love that was taken from him. He would at any cost, give a life to have that back, to have her back and safe with him.


	3. A Serpents promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve Rogers has a secret, that he has killed to keep. But how long can he keep it a secret without destroying the woman he secretly loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More flashbacks, A love sick Steve Rogers and a revelation at the end! Man, I love writing this but its hardddd! so please leave me some kind feedback I’ll love you forever!
> 
> Everything marked with a *** is a flashback

**Berlin. Three days later**

Pain. Flashes of pain. Memories, white hot, searing memories. Screaming, is it yours? You can't tell. 

A metal rod, its hot against your neck, your body convulses, and you lose consciousness. 

***‘Steve’s fingers intertwined with yours, a smile on his face. He looks down at you, damn it those blue eyes make you so vulnerable. Sets our heart off racing, a mile a minute, he leans down and whispers your name, an admission of love, it makes you heart jump as his lips ghost over the shell of your ear whispering sweet words to you’***

Black dark pain, your eyes fly open, a scream erupting from your throat. There’s so much violence in you, what the hell is happening. Again the metal is against your neck, your body convulses and you slip back into darkness. 

***‘His lips against yours, arms wrapped around you. The smell of lilies and daisies in the air. It’s too surreal, but it's real at the same time. A moment away, stolen from the day. Steve grins at you, it’s like a fairytale when your toes dip into the cool lake water, shirtless and godlike beside you, Steve Rogers grasps your hand. “Come on babygirl.”, he murmurs, his eyes alight with passion and then you fall with him.’***

Fists clenched, nails digging into your palms, drawing blood. There's that pain again, angry, violent, hateful. You’re gasping for air, screaming out as the happiness of that memory is soured by the revolting pain that rips through your mind. You feel blind, darkness covets you like an angry vengeful spirit. 

You try to scream out, reach for your powers deep within you but the moment you do. You feel the metal, the wretched metal touch your skin and the horrifying scream that escapes your lips sends a shiver down the spine of its beholder. 

What fresh hell was this. You think as blackness descends.

***“I love you.” Steve murmurs, he runs his finger tips over your lips as he always did, a show of affection. “You’re okay.” his voice is calm, strong, it reverberates within your soul. He always manages to still you, from the moment he met you, it was instant, passionate, free falling.’ ***

The memory is ripped away from you, you are left scrambling after it. 

“Steve!” You screamed into the sudden void but no comfort chased after you as you feel the memory fade to black. 

White bright light suddenly flooded your vision. You rapidly blinked, pain echoing through your head. A thick metallic taste in your mouth, you cough, it’s a harsh violent cough. 

Your hands are cuffed above you to a rusting beam, your feet barely touching the ground. Pain lances through your arms, and the cold hard cuffs cut into your wrists as you twist them around, trying to get out of them. 

The room is spinning, and your head droops forward, stretching your already aching muscles further. You need to get out of these cuffs, you have no idea where you are, your mind is disorientated. 

Shakily, you lift your fingers and touch the hard metal cuffs biting into the skin on your wrists. You have to still your mind, and your heart, to harness your ability of Psychometry. Taking a deep breath, you release the energy within you, feeling it almost skyrocket through you. 

A flash of vivid colors, flash before your eyes. Your irises becoming entirely black as you slip into the memory the cuffs will provide you with. 

‘Darkness, cold, metal. Ash and dust, there are angry voices. A scream, it’s a woman’s, is it yours?. Lights turn on, and a flurry of commotion, the reality is warped and twisted. An ugly vision of a hidden nightmare stands before you.  
Another scream as the memory shifts, blood, the smell of bleach, and suddenly a metal clang, a door opens. You are tossed to the floor. Collared and cuffed. Your eyes black as the night.  
Anger on your face, she stands before you. 

“String her up.” Her voice, commanding, cold, sinister. Yet so familiar, where did you know those eyes from, that voice. You knew her, it was like a memory that kept slipping through your fingers every time you grasped at it, like quicksand through your fingers.

Your body is lifted, arms up, fists clenched. You try to move and suddenly she touches your neck with the metal in her hand and the scream that erupts from your throat has you wrenched from the memory.’ 

Gasping for air, you removed your fingers from the cuff. Cutting off the psychometric energy coursing through you. Your body slumps forward, and you cried out in pain as the cuffs cut deeper into your wrists with the strain. 

There’s a creak and a metal clang, as the door to whatever prison you’re being kept in swings open. The bright fluorescent light being shone in your eyes blinds you to whoever stands in the doorway. The shadowy figure, you can tell is a woman. 

The clicking of her heels on the concrete floor echo through the room as she walks in, flanked by two large men. She steps into the light and you are finally graced with the vision of her.

Tall and lithe. With emerald green eyes, midnight hair cascading over her shoulders. There’s an unusual mark on the right side of her face. Like a scar that had been operated on, fixed. On her face, a smirk that chilled you to the bone. There was an air about her, a graceful yet deadly.

Why did she look so familiar.

“Oh, how I have been waiting for this.” She spoke, her voice echoing through the empty dark room. 

Her voice, it’s so familiar, sparking something inside you. Where do you know it from, why can’t you remember. You squeeze your eyes shut, racking your memories for something, anything that will give you an inclination of who she was and why she seemed so familiar. 

“You don’t remember do you?” She said, stepping closer to you. 

You opened your eyes and came face to face with her. She stood so close to you, you could smell her perfume, hints of roses and something sickly sweet. Those green eyes of hers, coldly boring into yours. 

“Let me refresh your memory, sister.” She sneers. In her hand, she held that metal rod, she raises it and touches the skin on your neck. 

‘Sister!’ is the last thing your mind screams at you before the pain, the white hot, indescribable pain, rips through you like a cleaver through ice. 

A scream tears through you, the kind of scream that would make the hairs on the back of the neck of an ordinary person stand up. It was the most piercing scream. It was loud, panicked. A scream of hysteria, and disbelief, bordering on terror. 

__________

Something’s wrong. Steve can feel it, he doesn’t know how, but he just can. He stands beneath the scalding water of the shower, and is suddenly overcome with a sense of dread.

There’s a small measure of panic coursing through him. Maybe it was the bond he shared with her, she was his soul mate after all. Maybe it was her powers, being touched by them in the way she had could have left an imprint on him. But in that moment, he didn’t care what it was. 

It was just a feeling, like an icy hand had suddenly gripped his heart and was squeezing it. 

Something was wrong with her. He felt it deep within him and he felt utterly helpless. 

__________ 

“Steve?” Bucky’s voice echoed through the large hotel room. 

“In here.” Came Steve’s response. Bucky walked through the hotel room, dropping his tactical belt onto the table as he did so. Natasha, and Sam sat on the couches, counting bullets. For this mission, they were going to need all the fire power they had. Pushing open the door to the bed room, Bucky sees Steve standing by the window gazing out, fully suited up in his stealth suit. 

“Anything?” Steve asks, not turning around. 

Bucky sighed, “Nothing.” 

He walks up to the window and stands shoulder to shoulder with Steve. “I’m sorry.” he said placing a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. Steve exhales deeply, his gaze fixed on the white snow outside, watching it as each little flake floated to the ground. The pure white snow giving him a nostalgic feeling.

“Something is wrong with her, Buck.” Steve said quietly, “I can feel it and I have never felt more helpless in my life.” 

“She’s tough. Whatever it is, I’m sure she can handle it.” Bucky tried to reassure him. 

Steve shakes his head, “No, it’s different this time. I know it.” He insisted. 

“We’re looking, Steve. I swear it, we are.” Bucky muttered. 

“I know, thank you Buck.” Steve replied, giving his friend a quick smile. 

The smile never reaches his eyes and Bucky sees this. Little by little seeing his friend this way is eating Bucky up, he wants do desperately to fix it, to pick up these shattered pieces she has left behind and mould them back together into the man he once knew. But that’s the folly of it all, the only one who can fix Steve Rogers is the one person who has withdrawn so far into the shadows, it seems even god cannot find her. 

“We should head out, we need to be in Zurich by morning.” Bucky said, turning away from the window and heading back out of the room. “Tony is waiting for us.” 

Steve nods his head, the only response he gives Bucky. He found himself at a lack for words more often than not of late. He had hoped they would find her, when Bucky said there had been an incident in Belgium very similar to her abilities, and Bruce had done the readings, and there was blurry video footage of a woman matching her description. Steve prayed to whatever being was out there listening to him. He got on his knees and begged and begged, that he would find her in time. 

But somehow she had managed to slip away again, just out of his reach and the sense of dread that had been haunting him, now haunted him more. Encompassing his entire heart, which now felt like it had stopped beating all together, turning to stone in his chest. 

Steve closed his eyes, and took a deep slow breath. This day, this damn day meant so much. He was getting nowhere with his emotions running wild like this, but he couldn’t help it. God damn, he was a fucking fool in love and it hurt like a bitch. A year, a whole year had gone by and nothing had changed about the way he felt. In fact he loved her more, and it was destroying his mind. 

He reached into one of the pockets his tactical belt, and fished out the small locket he kept there. A memento of their secret love, a gift from her. A simple silver heart, engraved. 

“Always together, even apart.”

Steve held it in the palm of his hand, and took a shaky breath as he looked over it. There were so many feelings attached to this simple object, so many memories. His mind flashing back to the moment she had given it to him. 

***‘Hot, flustered, breathless, everything he felt as he lay beside her. Steve turns his gaze to her, her eyes are closed, a smile on her perfect face. Damn how lucky he was, he never would have thought he could find someone who could show him such pure unadulterated love, at least not in this lifetime. 

She gets off the bed, and he reaches for her. “Dont go.” he murmurs grabbing her wrist. He knows she’s leaving for a while. It’s safer for her, she needs the treatment as much as he hates to admit it. They won’t let him have her if she isn’t cleared. 

A smile, that beautiful fucking smile. She moves around the room, gathering her clothes, covering herself up and Steve watches, with a heavy heart. 

“I have something for you.” Her voice brings him out of his thoughts. Steve looks up at her with a curious frown, she walks over and takes his hand, pressing the cold hard item into his palm. He looks down at the shiny silver heart in his hand, then back at her, choked with emotion. “A little something to remember me by.” She said, almost inaudibly. 

“I …” He almost says it but stops himself, too soon. Closing his fist around the beautifully engraved object, Steve smiled at her and she returns the smile, god damn it her smile took his breath away.

“Don’t forget me, Steve Rogers.” She murmured, leaning down and kissing him softly before she slipped away into the still morning air, taking his heart with her. 

How could he ever forget her, she was his reason for being, she set his whole world alight. Losing her would be akin to having half of him ripped apart. Even with the chaos in her heart and death on her fingertips, Steve Rogers would rather die than live in a world where she didn’t exist.’ ***

Steve closed his fist around the locket, he needed to find her. He opened his cerulean eyes, a new found sense of resolute washing over him. Steve didn’t care who he had to tear through, in that moment, he made a vow to himself he was going to find her and bring her home. 

____________

A metal taste fills your mouth as you regain consciousness. It tastes like lead paint, every muscle in your body is screaming out in pain at you but you can’t move. Shallow, quick breaths as you try to steady your dizzying head, every breath you took hurt your chest as if a cleaver were inside it just hacking away. 

They had moved you though, you lie on a cold hard concrete floor now, groaning softly you rolled over onto you back and gasped out in pain as there was a sharp sensation that ripped through via the movement. 

There is a dull throbbing in your neck. Gingerly you reach up moving your now bloodied wrists slowly with the cuffs and touch your neck. You immediately feel the abnormality beneath the skin, there is something implanted in there. Panic surges through you, you know this implant. 

Without thinking you began to claw at the skin on your neck, which seemed to trigger some sort of protection mechanism. Immediately an electric current surges through your body, and your screamed out in pain. Your body convulsing against the cold floor,leaving your gasping for breath once more as you waited for the pain to subside.

“The pain goes away eventually,” A voice suddenly sounds through the room startling you. You scrambled up, immediately backing away from the direction of the voice, ignoring the pain that tore through your body. 

A shadow sat in the corner of the room, back facing you and hunched over. You could visibly see the bruises and scars on her tiny body, and you shuddered at the sight of it. 

“W-who are you?” You croaked, your voice raspy from lack of hydration. 

The little figure in the corner stills, and her back straightens. She slowly turns around to face you and your heart begins to hammer in your chest. Her face is your face, a younger version of you. She’s tortured and broken, and the overwhelming sense of familiarity of this vision grips you with fear. 

“This isn't real…” You murmured to yourself, shutting your eyes. It couldn’t be, it was the construct of your mind, whatever they had done to you. This was a vision of your messed up psyche. 

“I am real!” The voice cut into your mind again, and you squeezed your eyes shut. Shrinking further against the cold wall. 

“Look at me, you did this to us.” The eerie child like voice sounds again. “Look at what you have done.” 

A cold hand touches your cheek, and you take in a sharp breath feeling as if your lungs were filled with shards of ice as pain wracks through your chest. You eyes flew open and you are overcome with the vision before you. 

***‘Hit after hit, the fist falls against your face and body. Pain, that was a feeling you are all too used to. Your tiny body holds itself together. You try to cover your face with your arms, trying to protect yourself but you know it’s futile. He will not stop, he never does until he is satisfied you have learned your lesson or the blood is too much to hide. 

“Please stop…” You cried, repeatedly, your fragile little voice faltering his fist for a moment before he hits you one last time. 

“I should have let you die.” He murmured hatefully. He stands up and walks away, leaving your tiny body on the floor, bloodied and bruised. It was always the same, he hit you because he didn’t understand your abilities, you were seven, you did not know how to control them. Your emotions bled into your abilities and it was chaos. 

He had you cuffed and collared, on their authority. You stepped out of line, you slipped up, you didn’t follow an order, and it was solitary for you. 

You never learned trust or love, you learned pain and brutality. It was the Hydra way, the way your father taught you every time he slammed your face into something.’ ***

“Stop, stop please stop.” Tears streaming down your face as you begged the vision to leave, for the aching pain this memory brought you. That was the night, the night he had given you to Hydra. The night that had set you on this path, all those years ago. You clutch your head in your still cuffed hands, and violently shake it. Trying to will away the memory of that night, the memory that suffocated you, haunted your very existence. 

Why? Why were they making you relive this, what was the purpose of it. 

Then suddenly as if you had stepped into the eye of a hurricane, calm washed over you. A moment of absolute stillness, and it was as if everything had stilled. Like the world had stopped spinning for just a moment and you opened your eyes. 

The women with the raven hair stood before you once more, and you were hit with the sudden realization of who she was. Of course you remembered her, how could you have forgotten her. The memory of meeting her all those years ago cascades through your mind as you look over her. 

***‘A cold day, it was always fucking cold or at least your memories of it were. You stood on the steps on the massive mansion, behind you two guards with guns in their hands. You are cuffed like a criminal all of you are. You are no older than seven years old and beside you, the raven haired girl with the scar on her face. She looks scared, but you are not. You have faced worse things in your life than a daunting mansion and a few armed guards. All that and you are only seven years old.  
It was you and eleven others, all girls , all young, fragile on the cusp of being moulded into the perfect soldier. Which is why they took you, why they took all of you. You look around and the face of the eleven others who would become your sisters and then back at the raven haired girl beside you.  
The fear in her eyes bleeds into your emotions and almost cripples you. It’s what Hydra wanted.’***

_____

“Ophelia Sarkissian.” You said bitterly. 

A slow, sinister smile comes over her beautiful face. “I knew the pain would bring back the memories that were stolen from you.” She said, her voice was like poison in the bloodstream. 

“I never wanted them back.” You spat. 

After S.H.I.E.L.D had found you in the Hydra base all those years ago, they took it upon themselves to wipe the memories of your time there. To give you a new start, something you hadn’t asked for but they knew, they knew the monster you were and they knew if they didn’t wipe the memories from your mind, you would stay in that limbo. On the cusp of being the monster you were and working for them. In reality, they wanted you as an asset. You knew this, you had known all along. But for the sake of self preservation, you let them take your memories, and never told Steve rogers what S.H.I.E.L.D had done to you in order to “Cure” you.

Ophelia knelt down before you, her emerald green eyes sweeping over you. “Your memories are what make you who you are, why would you give them up so easily?” She murmured, reaching out and touching your face 

You immediately shy away from her touch, you knew her all to well. Ophelia was a cold, calculating, heartless person. There was no love left in her, not after what Hydra had done to all of you. 

“I never wanted any of it.” You said through gritted teeth. 

“Did you give them up for him?” She asked. Your heart suddenly jumping you in your chest, you knew who she was talking about. She knew, how did she know. You do your best to keep your face as neutral as possible, not to give away anything before you answered her. 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” You replied, a deadpan expression on your face. 

Ophelia cackles and rises to her feet once more, she walks away from you towards the door then pauses. Turning back to you slowly, a look in her eyes that would chill the very blood in the veins of an ordinary man.

“Your Captain will come for you, and when he does, I will rip him apart in front of you for what you did to me, sister.” She said coldly. The pure conviction in her eyes told you that there would be no stopping her, so reasoning with her, there would only be death. 

“Ophelia…” You started to say but she never gave you the chance to finish, she walked out and slammed the door shut behind her, the lock clicking into place a second later. 

“Oh god…” You muttered, terror rippling through you like an electric current. 

____________ 

Berlin 24 hours later. 

Natasha ran through the bustling building, her boots clattering on the linoleum floors. Her short blonde hair is wild around her pretty face, kitted in her suit and weapons strapped to her thighs and back. She’s slightly panicked and Natasha Romanoff is never panicked. 

The task force members are all around them, prepping for duty. Steve Rogers sat in the conference room with Tony Stark, they are talking mission strategy for a threat that had been issued against the Avengers, Steve is here for more and they all know it. But that was not where she was headed. No she had a more pressing task to deal with. 

She bursts into the room she is looking for, practically kicking down the door and startling its occupants. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes sat together going over a strategy, the two of them turning towards Natasha as she strode into the room, purposefully. 

“Does he know?” Natasha demanded, her green eyes glaring at the target of her sudden wrath. Sam look at her confused but Bucky knows what she is talking about. He was expecting her to find out, Natasha always found everything out. There was no keeping a secret from her. 

Bucky hastily gets to his feet and walked over to her. “Not here.” He replied, placing a hand on Natasha’s shoulder as he glances at Sam who now had curious frown on his face. 

“Does who know what?” Sam asked, Bucky and Natasha turned towards him and then exchange a glance. 

“Does he know?” Natasha repeated, shoving Bucky’s hand off her shoulder. her anger was slowly rising. Bucky could see the rage settling behind her eyes and knew the secret he had tried to keep so well hidden was about to come to light and dread settled in his heart. 

“No.” Bucky murmured with a sigh. He turned away from Natasha and walked back over to his seat, dropping down into it and tiredly rubbing his face with the palm of his flesh hand. 

“You have to tell him.” Natasha stated, it was more of an order than anything else. 

“Wait, what is going on right now? Who are you talking about?” Sam interjected, “I’m so confused.” 

“Shut up Sam.” Natasha snapped. Her gaze not leaving Bucky for even a moment, “Say it James, out loud.” 

Bucky looked up at her, a pained look coming over his face. At some point this was going to have to come out, there was not a secret on earth that could be kept forever. No matter how hard he tried to hide this, it was a secret that would hurt so many, it would destroy his friendship with Steve and the team. Bucky knew the cost of hiding this and it was a risk he was willing to take. He shook his head slightly, uttering the words out loud would only solidify the truth he had been hiding all this time. 

“You remember her don’t you? You know what you did to her as the Winter Soldier.” Natasha said softly, quietly. It was a statement, not a question. “And you hid it from Steve?” 

Bucky’s heart dropped and his gaze met her unwavering one. 

“Yes.” Was all he said.


End file.
